Ann Callis stepped down from her seat as Chief Judge in Madison County in order to run for Congress. She is Democrats' nominee in the 13th District, which covers much of central Illinois. Callis says given her experience as a felony trial judge, she is against decriminalizing marijuana. That's a policy change that has been suggested by some politicians as a way to reduce overcrowding in prisons. Instead, Callis says she favors alternative sentencing, like the use of drug courts.
"I have lived it, I have worked it and I know that these types of restorative justice programs work. And they're not giving anybody a free pass. They're difficult to go through, to graduate from these programs."
Callis is running against incumbent Republican Rodney Davis. A spokesman did not immediately respond to questions about Davis's stance on cannabis policies. However, Davis voted for a measure this summer that prohibits federal interference with state medical marijuana laws and implementation. He's also a sponsor of a plan that would allow children with epilepsy to use hemp oil, and an oil from cannabis known as "CBD." It's thought to help them.